Dawgs By Nature
You are a Cleveland Browns fan. You are very devoted and tell everyone when you get a cut, a mixture of orange and brown oozes out.
RELATED: BROWNS QB COMPETITION WILL END THIS WEEK
You own several Browns caps and a half dozen jackets for every cold-weather situation. There is a Browns decal on at least one window of every vehicle you own, including the one that needs a new transmission in the backyard, and of course, a Browns-related front license plate. You own a Joe Thomas HOF induction ceremony T-shirt to go with the other two dozen Browns tees. All of your children are Browns fans, although they don’t know why, because they do not remember any winning seasons and have only heard something about eight championships.
There is a Browns flag perched on your front porch, or one underneath your American flag flapping on your flagpole.
And this year, there is one question on your mind: Who will be Cleveland’s starting quarterback this season?
The Browns have had six quarterbacks under contract this year. That does not surprise anyone, because Cleveland set an NFL record last year for starting the most QBs in a two-year stretch by using nine starters – five in 2023, and four in 2024. In the 2023 season alone, they tied a single-season record for most signalcallers to start the calendar year (5), tied with the 1987 New England Patriots.
So, six quarterbacks for one NFL roster? No worries. But still, which one will be behind center come Week 1? That is a subject to be discussed and debated extensively.
Deshaun Watson was expected back, but re-injured his Achilles again, which set back his recovery period. One thing about a fully torn Achilles is that it must fully heal before anybody can expect to play sports again. He had another surgery to repair the second injury, but the re-rupture will likely keep him out for the entire 2025 season.
Watson was then added to the PUP list at the end of July as he continued to recover from the second surgery. Whether he returns this season or not remains uncertain.
The most obvious choice for the starting quarterback role for Week 1 is veteran Joe Flacco. He was signed to be the starter, and so far, none of the other quarterbacks on the roster appear to be ready to lead a team all season for 17 games, except for Flacco.
Kenny Pickett was traded for, but his role seemed more like an experienced backup in case something would occur with Flacco. Pickett has played in 30 games with 25 NFL starts.
Both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are rookies, and having a good camp is exciting and encouraging. These two have started one preseason game each, and although they have different styles and mannerisms, each played well. But consider this: both rookie QBs played mainly against second-team defenders. It is difficult to imagine seeing either in a real game against a number-one defense at...
